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Disabilities

Special education provides instruction and support tailored to learners with disabilities and special educational needs.

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Scope

It covers the identification and assessment of disabilities, individualized instruction, inclusion and least-restrictive environment, and special-education policy.

Sub-topics

Core questions

  • How should learners with disabilities be educated?
  • How are special educational needs identified?
  • Should students be included in mainstream settings?
  • How can instruction be individualized?

Key concepts

  • Special educational needs
  • Inclusion
  • Individualized education
  • Least restrictive environment
  • Disability
  • Mainstreaming

Key theories

Educability of all learners
Itard's work with the 'wild boy of Aveyron' established that those once deemed uneducable could learn.
Critique of segregation
Dunn questioned segregated special classes, helping spur the inclusion movement.
Special educational needs
The Warnock Report reframed disability as a continuum of educational needs, shaping policy.

History

Special education developed from early educability demonstrations (Itard, Séguin) to mid-century critiques of segregation (Dunn) and the inclusion movement, codified in special-needs policy (Warnock) and rights legislation.

Debates

Inclusion versus specialized placement
Whether learners with disabilities are best served in mainstream or specialized settings.

Key figures

  • Jean Itard
  • Lloyd Dunn
  • Mary Warnock

Related topics

Seminal works

  • itard-1801
  • dunn-1968
  • warnock-1978

Frequently asked questions

What is inclusion in special education?
The practice of educating students with disabilities alongside peers in mainstream settings, with appropriate support.

Methods for this concept

Related concepts